The first edition of the Walo Art Festival 2024 was inaugurated in Richard Toll, a city with largely untapped cultural potential. This prestigious event, organized by the Defci Walo Association, aims to illuminate the local artistic scene by highlighting the fields of art, cinema, music and local talents. The festival took place under the ambitious theme of “Art, Innovation and Sustainable Development: The Commitment of Young People and Women for a Common Future” with a particular focus on “Cinema and Local Development: Causes and Consequences”.
The Richard Toll Village Hall, in the Dagana department, hosted the official opening ceremony, marking the start of six days of varied activities. These included film screenings, masterclasses and discussions around societal and environmental issues, highlighting the richness and diversity of local cultural heritage.
Among the stated objectives of the festival is the promotion of local culture and emerging talent in the surrounding regions, particularly through cinema and performing arts. In addition, the festival is committed to encouraging cinema as a lever for local development, by allowing young directors to present their works and make themselves known. Particular emphasis was placed on the empowerment of women through training dedicated to women’s entrepreneurship and copyright. Several panels explored the role of women in the film and environmental industries.
As part of this event, efforts were made to raise public awareness of social and environmental issues such as global warming, public health and sustainable entrepreneurship. The festival also seeks to boost local tourism, positioning Richard Toll as a key economic and cultural crossroads between Senegal, Mauritania and Mali.
Ibrahima Fall, the director of the festival, described Walo Art 2024 as a unique platform for cultural celebration, cinematographic promotion and awareness of contemporary issues, highlighting the support of partners committed to a sustainable cultural and social future, as reported by South Daily.
Training on copyright punctuated the second day, orchestrated to provide local artists with a better understanding of the cultural legal environment. Testimonies from cultural actors such as that of the artist Mental or the rapper Karbala revealed the enthusiasm generated by this initiative.
The fourth day, dedicated to training in female entrepreneurship, aimed to equip women in the Walo region to raise their awareness of financial education and entrepreneurship opportunities, thus contributing to local economic development.
During this event, various activities such as discussion panels, screenings of documentary films and short films as well as discovery workshops enriched the program. Please note that this information was verified and reported by Sud Quotidien.
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